this the chronicler dates the beginning of the Guelfs and Ghibellines in Florence. But it was only the names that were then introduced, to intensify a struggle which had in reality commenced a century before this, in 1115, on the death of Matilda. As far as Guelf and Ghibelline meant a struggle of the commune of burghers and traders with a military aristocracy of Teutonic descent and feudal imperial tendencies, the thing is already clearly defined in the old contest between the Uberti and the Consuls. This, however, precipitated matters, and initiated fifty years of perpetual conflict. Dante, through Cacciaguida, touches upon the tragedy in his great way in _Paradiso_ XVI., where he calls it the ruin of old Florence. "La casa di che nacque il vostro fleto, per lo giusto disdegno che v'ha morti e posto fine al vostro viver lieto, era onorata ed essa e suoi consorti. O Buondelmonte, quanto mal fuggisti le nozze sue per gli altrui conforti! Molti sarebbon lieti, che son tristi, se Dio t'avesse conceduto ad Ema la prima volta che a città venisti. Ma conveniasi a quella pietra scema che guarda il ponte, che Fiorenza fesse vittima nella sua pace postrema."[6] [6] "The house from which your wailing sprang, because of the just anger which hath slain you and placed a term upon your joyous life, "was honoured, it and its associates. Oh Buondelmonte, how ill didst thou flee its nuptials at the prompting of another! "Joyous had many been who now are sad, had God committed thee unto the Ema the first time that thou camest to the city. "But to that mutilated stone which guardeth the bridge 'twas meet that Florence should give a victim in her last time of peace." And again, in the Hell of the sowers of discord, where they are horribly mutilated by the devil's sword, he meets the miserable Mosca. "Ed un, ch'avea l'una e l'altra man mozza, levando i moncherin per l'aura fosca, sì che il sangue facea la faccia sozza, gridò: Ricorderaiti anche del Mosca, che dissi, lasso! 'Capo ha cosa fatta,' che fu il mal seme per la gente tosca."[7] [7] "And one who had both hands cut off, raising the stumps through the dim air so that their blood defiled his face, cried: 'Thou wilt recollect the Mosca too, ah me! who said, "A thing done has an end!" which was the seed of evil to the Tuscan people.'" (_Inf._ xxviii.)